FOSTER CITY, Calif. & AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 27, 2005--Applied Biosystems Group (NYSE:ABI), an Applera Corporation business, and Ambion, Inc. today announced they have signed a definitive agreement whereby Applied Biosystems will acquire the Research Products Division of Ambion, a premium supplier of RNA-based reagents for life science research and drug development, for approximately $273 million in cash. The transaction is subject to regulatory and other customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2006.